


I Was Meant To Die In Your Arms

by Rainy182



Series: This Is Your Brain On Writer's Block [9]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire (Teen Wolf), Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bad Alpha Talia Hale, Emissary Alan Deaton, Fae & Fairies, Fae Claudia Stilinski, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, John in a spark, M/M, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Memory Alteration, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Recovered Memories, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unhealthy Relationships, Untrustworthy Alan Deaton, but for good reasons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2020-10-10 07:22:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20524163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainy182/pseuds/Rainy182
Summary: Soulmates are a curse, nobody wants them, and for good reason too! You die if you meet them. Not immediately, but you do. Stiles doesn't care though, he's the weird kid who lost his Mom and all he wants is the one person who is destined to love him despite all that, even if it means he'll die. And he knows he will.Enter Peter, a the Hale's left hand who doesn't mind dying in a year (and he knows he will) if it means he'll get to fall in love with the magical guy next door.





	1. The Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is NOT the fic I advertised on tumblr the other day haha. But it's my current jam (aka a side project to give me a break from DTTS). Taking another crack at the whole Soulmate Au, I hope you enjoy! Like normal, no promises on the update schedule, but I'll aim for once a month.

Soulmates are a _curse_. That is what everyone learns at an early age, that your soulmate brings out the worse in you, that they cause you pain, and that they’ll forever be branded on your skin. Not that your soul-bound starts out that way, because it never does, it starts out _happy_. That is what makes it worse, that your soulmate at first brings you nothing but joy. It starts out with promises of forever, love, and _pure bliss_. Then a counter appears on one of you after the first year that you’re together and it starts to count down slowly both counters slowly approaching zero.

The counter goes down each day, each hour, each minute- it goes down. Then they die, usually a painful death, usually a very public one. They die and you’re alone. So, you’re alone with a burnt name on your wrist, a bitter- sometimes dangerous- outlook on life, and you’re _alone_.

John Stilinski and Claudia Augustine were not soulmates. Actually, they were what could be considered blessed, as they were born without soul-brands completely, their wrist bare and without blemish. So no, they were not soulmates and were never destined to be, but they were in love. It was because they were in love that they moved to Beacon Hills, a town far enough from the city to be considered a small town, but close enough to avoid being filled with farms. It also didn’t hurt that the Nemeton was so close, strengthening Claudia’s natural magic.

It was Claudia’s magic that helped them conceive a child and kept him. A mix of spells, prayer, and dried herbs. Although John could have sworn the only thing different was the shinning full moon that had been high in the sky on that December night. His mothers’ warnings of _nothing good being bread in the dead of winter _ringing softly in his ears.

But they were in love, happy, and expecting. They expected a lot in those nine months. Promotions, a good harvest, and son. The expected on a December night, and softly- to soft for the Stilinski family to hear- a pack of wolves cried out in mourning.

Stiles was born on September 23rd, the first day of fall and the first day nature starts dying, he was beautiful and his Mother cried tears of joy. His body no bigger than eight inches was dipped into the blessed waters by his Mother’s side as the midwife- a friend of Claudia’s- whispered a spell of protection. Stiles was cleaned in blessed waters and he was beautiful, beautifully cursed. For his wrist, small and fragile, held a name made of slashes and loops. The name was Peter Hale.

When John entered the room later to see his beautiful baby boy for the first time, he was greeted by his weeping wife, he arms holding a bundle and her bare wrist turned up towards the heavens as she rocked back and forwards. Yes, Stiles was born on September 23rd, the first day of fall and the first day nature starts dying; he was beautiful and his Mother cried tears of sorrow.


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles meets Cora.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story will be mostly short chapter if I'm being honest! Also tag updates as well because I'm planning to go a little darker with this fic!
> 
> Edit: Changed Claudia's time of death to seven years ago (it was originally one) so I can have more drama with John and Stiles later on!!

_ 17 years later… _

Stiles was used to the sympathetic looks he would get for having a soul brand on his wrist. How teachers would always refer to his future in flexible terms, nothing definite, nothing permanent. He became a loner the day they taught soulmate studies in eighth grade, but he became alone the day his mother died.

Today is the seven-year anniversary of her death; which is why Stiles is currently sitting in the back of the class silent with dark bags under his eyes of lack of sleep and smelling like a liquor store. It’s also why the teachers are casting him sympathetic looks, because all of them know small portions of the disaster that is Stiles’ home life. Never enough to actually present a case to CPS, but enough to know that  _ Stiles  _ isn’t the reason why he smells like a liquor shop on New Years Eve. Everyone is just thankful he doesn’t carry bruises.

Everyone but Stiles that is, because at least bruises would show that he’s being noticed. It would certainly take way more energy to show anger than to just cast a blank stare hollowed out by the closest Jack Daniels. Because frankly, or at least to Stiles, a violent parent is still more of a parent than one that isn’t there.

His therapist Melinda says that isn’t healthy thinking. He says that he never thought it was.

“Stiles,” a low voice called out next to him, breaking him out of his trance, “Your name really Stiles?”

When he looks over to the owner of the voice, he’s met with brown eyes and a raised brow, it only takes a few moments for him to remember that this was the new girl that everyone had been talking about only days prior. He wonders why she moved to Beacon Hills of all places, why her family would move her to the one place on Earth where things go to die.

“No,” he finally replies his voice raspy- he hadn’t talked to anyone is three months- but strong with finality. Because he used to go by a different name- a special name- and he used to loudly say it all the time in hopes a special boy, a boy  _ named Peter _ , would hear it. But then his mother got sick, and then she died, and the last sober thing his father said to him was to change his name. To never say it again as long as John lived because his father can only handle losing one person he loves in his life, he can’t do it again.

But then his dad picked up the bottle and never put it back down. Still though, Stiles became Stiles and hasn’t said his birth name since, even when he feels the name Peter Hale burn on his skin late at night.

“No?” the girl parrots back with a grin, “fucking called it, Derek owes me twenty.”

Stiles tries to figure out if he knows anyone named Derek but can’t seem to recall, so he shrugged before turning back to the front of the classroom. The equations on the board blurring slightly together as he starts to slip back into daydreaming again. He wonders if he’ll think about his Mother when she was happy and healthy or when she was screaming about him being a murder?

“Name’s Cora by the way,” the girl continued on her voice casual, “Cora Hale.”

Stiles heart stopped beating for a brief moment and the lights hanging from the ceiling shattered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Up: Backstory on the epic love of John and Claudia, Stiles is derailed by the Hale's, Team Cora for the win.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cora confronts Stiles to no avail.

The entire school was now standing outside of the building as the firefighters did a sweep of the school. The lights in Stiles’ English classroom was not the only ones to go out, the entire building was swept into darkness as the same time. Though, Mrs. Blake’s- Stiles’ English teacher – room was the only one covered in shattered glass.

“Did you do that?” Cora asked finally. The other students, their panic now gone, had moved further away from the two of them. Cliques and friend groups finding each other in the calming chaos. 

“Are you related to Peter Hale?” Stiles asked, ignoring the question. So, what if he had? He remembers whispers between his parents about magic, but he is pretty sure his was bound at a young age. It was probably just a coincidence anyways. Not worth spilling secrets for something that won’t happen again.

“_Stiles,_” Cora says again, her voice slightly harder, “Did you cause the power outage?”

“No.” He wasn’t looking at her though, instead his eyes were on his wrist, the edges of a cursive _P _making its way out of his sleeve.

”_Liar_,” she replies her hand going out to grab his wrist and turn him back towards her. “I won’t tell you _anything _about Peter unless you can tell me that you have a grip on your magic!”

Although her voice is barley above a whisper when she says magic, Stiles still feels the hair on the back of his neck raise, and he notices that Cora stiffens briefly after. As if waiting for an attack that might come at the mention of anything supernatural.

He’s not surprised that there is someone else supernatural in Beacon Hills- Mrs. Blake is a druid after all- but he’s still shocked to be faced with someone in the know. Still his guard goes up harsher at her words and he puts his desire to find _Peter Hale _in the back of his mind to take a step back from a potential threat.

“I’m not magic,” his voice was slow and firm, each word helping his feet move backwards, “Nobody is, it’s not real sadly.”

Before Cora could take a step forward, Mrs. Blake steps up to them her a soft smile on her face, although her eyes looked curious. Her seemingly sudden approach caused Cora to halt her steps and Stiles to make a silent escape into the crowd.

However, before he left completely out of earshot, he heard the thoughtful tone of the teacher, “Now what would the Hale Alpha have to say about that?”

_Alpha_…he thinks the word over in his head while he walks, his feet carrying him towards the parking lot, school being canceled for the rest of the day, _Alpha_.

He doesn’t noticed the bright blue eyes that watch him from the tree line, tracking his movements all the way to the rundown jeep that sits under a streetlamp. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still trying to introduce the main players, but hey a Peter cameo towards the end!!


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find out the first way the Hale's caused a setback.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first flashback of the story! Also the reason why Peter is only watching from the bushes instead of sending creepy but thoughtful gifts through the mail.

_17 years ago…_

Talia’s howl ringed out through the preserve, maybe even the entirety of Beacon Hills, Peter just knows it. He can still feel the sadness and despair seeping though the pack bonds. The only reason why he can’t hear the crying is because he’s been sitting in his room for two hours now behind a sealed soundproof door. He can still smell the salty tears and mourning that covers the wall though and he doesn’t think it will ever leave his nose.

_ All this for a name on my wrist, _he can’t help but think, although he knows it’s more than the name. It’s the fact that the name is his soulmate, which means he now has a higher chance of dying compared to everyone else in his family. A percentage that only recently went up.

He can still feel the searing burn on his skin that scrapped the letters on his inner wrist, and he knows deep down that if it weren’t for his healing factor, he’d still have an open wound. Now all that’s left is clear skin showcasing thin white slashes making the name _Mieczyslaw_ _Stilinski_. Peter knew the owner of the last name immediately when he saw it. As a result of his frequent trips to the police station for causing a public disturbance, and he wondered if the Deputy Stilinski knew anybody named _Mie-czee-sil-la_.

“Peter,” Talia’s voice suddenly coming from the door of his room, “May I come in?”

He didn’t want her too if he was being honest with himself. He hadn’t had a chance to fully process what was happening to him and although he know it was considered a horrible thing, he finds he doesn’t care. It wasn’t ideal being only eighteen and already having his life seem finite, but as the Hale who was hidden in his sister’s shadow, it was nice knowing there was someone just for him out there.

So no, he didn’t want to talk and pretend that he was devastated by the news that he now apparently has a soulmate. But then he saw her red-rimmed eyes, and how her hair which was usually impeccable was falling out of place, as if she had been running her hands through it over and over. It’s only because of this, knowing how worried she must be, that he nods and shuffles over to make space on the bed for her.

When she sits down, she lets out a sigh, her eyes staring unseeingly at the wall across from them, “I know you’re not upset about the news Peter.”

Peter looking at her raises a brow, only to catch her already looking at him with a sad knowing smile before turning back to the wall. “Yeah I could smell the curiosity and longing on your brother, you hid it well from the rest of them though, so don’t worry.”

“You’re..,” Peter starts out slowly, “mad that I like the idea of a soulmate.”

“No of course not Peter,” Talia says with a small laugh, “Everyone has that romantic ideas when they’re your age.” Her arm goes around his shoulders to pull him into a hug, a way for the new Alpha to sent her beta, but also simply a sibling giving another support.

“As long as you don’t try to pursue it you’ll be fine Peter,” Talia added on her voice taking on a harder edge for a moment.

Peter, young but not naïve, feels the hairs on the back of his neck raise as he listens to the tone shift of his sister. His heart beats a hair faster before he forces it back to normal as he lets a smile stretch upon his face. The edges of it digging into his cheeks, feeling like a dry brittle rubber band, as he tries to look calm.

“Obviously not Tal,” his childhood nickname for her slipping out of his mouth unconsciously, “I don’t have a death wish.”

When her arm loosens, he feels himself relax, and he briefly lets himself think about visiting the Stilinski’s in a few years, maybe after college but before he travels to for pack relations. He even starts to turn his head to ask Talia about the time she thought about soulmates and true love when he feels it. The tell-tell sign of sharped claws pricking his neck, and when he lets his eyes look over to his right they meet a watery red.

“I’m sorry Peter,” his sister, _no _his Alpha whispers, “but I just don’t believe you.”

When the claws sink in he knows he screams, he knows he screams until he forgets.

* * *

_Now…._

When Peter first smelled his soulmate two weeks ago he wanted to let Talia know. Tell her so maybe he could relocate or see if she could approach his soulmate and ask them to leave. His thoughts telling him not to risk anything that could affect the pack, not to leave the pack, that it was important he remained to help them. (If it sounded like Talia’s voice, he ignored the coincidence). Peter almost did too, walked all the way to her door fist raised to knock, but then he stopped. His wolf wined in warning and his gut turned in discomfort, and if he really focused, he could probably even feel phantom pain on his neck.

His instincts told him to not say anything, so he didn’t, instead he spent two weeks following his soulmate around town. Always with the intention to tell Talia when he has more information, and always failing to do so for the same reason.

He must’ve forgot. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little longer! And also surprise but we are not team Talia in this story!


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little deeper look into John.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda of like the hopping around of POV. But if ya'll want more consistency I can switch back into a more linear line of pov.

Soulmates hold certain legal rights that differ from other people in the workplace. They are given six months of grieving time, paid leave, and reduced price or free post-separation therapy. It was implemented by the government to try to reduce the “broken-heart suicides” that spiked to an all time high in 1998. It helped some more than others, but it worked well enough to become a federal law. John would know because he was in Washington DC when the law passed and stood guard when a vigil was held in honor of the people lost because of broken-heart syndrome.

John went back to work two weeks after the death of his wife. He was the sheriff and it was what was expected of him, after all he didn’t lose a soulmate—just a wife. It didn’t matter that sometimes if the light hit his wrist just right he could see the faded cursive ink spelling out _Claudia_. It didn’t matter that he knew she was his other half and deep down he knew that he might have _willed it true_, all that mattered was that they were born without a soul-brand. They married without a soul-brand, and Claudia died without a soul-brand.

John and Claudia were not soulmates and thank God for that, because if they _were _that meant John Stilinski has been unstable for years now and with a son too. Maybe that’s why people turn a blind eye to his drinking, a blind eye to his forgetfulness of his son, a blind eye to the fact that he gets harsher at the station every year on Claudia’s death.

Before soulmates held certain legal rights that differ from other people, the _lucky _people, in the workplace. Before they were given six months of grieving time, paid leave, and low cost or free therapy. Before the government took notice of the spike of suicides in relation to soulmate deaths. Before 1998, a lot of soulmate pairs died, one following the other quickly. A lot died, but some did not. Some stayed alive, never living, but breathing and working and struggling. And if the world was being honest, the people who stayed alive long after their soulmate had died and their soul-brand had turned grey—those people were the dealt the worst hand of all.

But as it was established before, and as the people of Beacon Hills know very well, Claudia and John Stilinski were not soulmates. And thank _God _for that.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles does some light research.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _ Really_ short chapter! But there is a cool treat added at the end notes!

The house was empty when Stiles walked in. Not that he expected different, but even after all these years he can’t help but hold his breath slightly every time he crosses the threshold of the front door. He always hopes that this will be the time his father will be there to greet him, maybe comfort him, or simply distract the two of them on this annual gloomy day. Every time he is disappointed.

This time however, the disappointment isn’t as great as years previous. This time Stiles walking into an empty house now means he feels slightly relieved of the bubbling guilt that starts to build up in his chest. It’s hard to feel guilting for breaking a promise to your family when said family isn’t there to remind you why you made it in the first place. So Stiles makes a beeline for his room and finds himself in front of his computer searching “_Peter + Hale + Beacon + Hills_”.

He is both joyed and overwhelmed by the amount of results that show in result to his search. Headlines ranging from politics to wedding announcements covered his screen. To narrow it down some he added the date of his birth, which lead to only one article showing up, it’s title being the biggest clue for Stiles.

“The Hales Go Leave Beacon Hills!!” 

When Stiles goes to open the link however it opens to an error page. He can’t help but swear in frustration, though he does recognize that the knowledge that his soulmate is local is more than enough all things considered. He wants to know more though, like if all the Hales moved back into Beacon Hills, and more importantly if a man named Peter was among them. So, he returns to his original search and instead organized the articles by dates. He picks the first one that catches his eye, something about Talia Hale running for Mayor after almost seventeen years of absence. He doesn’t read the rest though because that’s when he sees him – Peter Hale.

The photo claims to be taken eight months ago, in a pavilion two towns over from Beacon Hills, but Stiles recognizes the shapes of the designs on the wood of the gazebo in the background. It’s the same one his mother would take him too for picnics and games of hide and seek among the local fairies. It was a _before _place, something he doesn’t visit anymore, but for the man who smirks in the photo and eyes are ice blue, _before _can turn into _after_.

“Happy birthday to me Stiles,” he whispers to himself as he prints off the articles and makes a move to grab his keys. A late-night drive mostly perfect for this kind of trip, as Stiles hoped that the town would largely be asleep or in their homes away from windows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [The newspaper that Stiles was unable to read!](https://drive.google.com/open?id=1bKSNexyd-fhl2phnhlmXNHonT_wWFJ-c)


	7. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slow updates because work and school are eating my soul:)

Talia was in a campaign meeting when she got the text from Deaton. Her campaign manager was going on about how the Hale name can only go so far before she must show that she can connect with the people of Beacon Hills still. However, her eyes were locked onto her phone, and she could feel them trying to bleed red in a mix of dread and anger.

_Deaton: I got a ping on the boy searching up Peter Hale. _

_[sent 12:00:00pm] _

_Deaton: Should we continue as planned? _

_[sent 12:00:03pm]_

“Excuse me Mr. Harken,” Talia said cutting off her manager suddenly, “I actually have a family emergency occurring. If you could forward me the rest of the information that would be great. And I will work on my…. personality.”

She walks out of the office before anyone could ask what they could do to help or offer any niceties. Her phone already to her ear as she dialed the number to her emissary. Her pace was quick as she made her way to her car, careful to keep her speed at a human pace.

Talia couldn’t believe that after all these years that the Sheriff’s boy was finally looking into her younger brother. Not that she’ll admit it to anyone, but she actually started to believe that he wouldn’t be a problem. After all, everyone knows that the kid was just one bad day away from a psychotic ward or worse. Plus, she figured that the threat that she left with John all those years ago would be enough to deter any curiosity on the family’s part.

Now years later she’s in front of Deaton’s office again, asking for help again, and hoping it will work again. She didn’t jump though when a _tap tap _noise beat against the window of her car. Turning her head to the man who’s the cause of it, she’s met with someone who couldn’t be any older than Cora. Floppy hair, brown eyes, and a concerned smile. _Teenager, Scott_, her mind supplies.

“Hello Scott,” her smile was wide as she unclenched her hands from the wheel, “How is your mother doing?”

She watched as Scott’s smile turned from concerned to ecstatic as he moved back from the car. The smell of _grateful _filled the air as she took her time stepping out from her car and grabbing her bag from the back.

“Oh, she’s doing great Mrs. Hale!” the teen rushes to say, “We really appreciate the good word you put in at the hospital to help get my Mom the position of head nurse!!”

“That was all your mom’s talent Scott,” which will come in handy some day Talia thought, “All I did was get the board to pay closer attention.”

They start to walk to the employee entrance of the vet office, chatting some more about Scott’s attempts to join the lacrosse team and how he’s been able to really start getting the hang of taking care of the animals, when they finally reached the back room. Turning fully towards the boy, Talia pulls on another smile- placating- and lays a hand on his shoulder.

“I actually am here to speak to Deaton about some important matters Scott,” her smile tightens, “maybe take the day off early huh? I’ll let the big man know it was my idea.”

“Oh,” Scott’s tone disappointed and confused, “Okay Mrs. Hale. Have a good evening!”

Once the Hale Alpha knew that Scott was fully out of the building, she turned to the wall next to her and opened the glamour covered door. Walking inside she’s met with Deaton hunched over an old book mumbling under his breath as he stirred a black liquid in a pot. He only looks up when she closes the door behind her, her eyes flashing red along with the slam.

“So,” her voice steady and finally conveying all the fear and slight anger she’s been felling since the meeting earlier today, “How do you suppose we fix this Deaton?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully by the next update I'll know if my crush likes me:))))


	8. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short but hopefully just as sweet:)

John and Claudia decided very early on that they wouldn’t prevent their son from meeting his soulmate, they wouldn’t encourage it, but they wouldn’t stop him either. The original plan was to tell Stiles that the Hale’s used to live in Beacon Hills and had moved to Nevada to give him space to grow. That if Stiles wanted to meet his soulmate he could, but that they only ask that he at least finished college first, have a chance to live and make an informed decision on the risk he would be taking if he met Peter Hale.

When Claudia died, John still decided to honor that choice they made, after all pain was not exclusive to soulmates has, he had found out. He planned on telling Stiles when he was in high school though, when he was older and the death of his mother wasn’t as fresh, it was a good idea he thought.

And it was.

Talia had other ideas though.

John met Talia at a bar, almost thought he was seeing a ghost given how long the Hales had been away from Beacon Hills (Ten years, three months and eleven days to be exact). But she had steadied him and smiled, offered to buy him another beer, and when he was done offered him a ride back to his house. By the time John was home he was stone cold sober and needed a drink. But more importantly, he had to go against his late wife’s wishes, not that it was the hardest thing to do. He had already lost one great love, to his fearful mind, why should he lose a son as well.

“Mieczyslaw,” his voice was loud in the quiet grief filled home, “Mieczyslaw come down here please.”

“Yes Daddy,” the voice of his ten-year-old called from the kitchen. When John turned to the room, he saw his son cooking mac and cheese and for a moment his hesitated. Afterall, although he was protecting his son, he would also be taking away a part of him too.

John sat him down anyways, and he told his son what Talia told him to tell him, but it was the truth though. If his son found Peter he would die and leave John alone, but he didn’t need to know that fate wouldn’t be the one to kill him. And he didn’t need to know that his potential killer was listening from across the street, her eyes gleaming a dark blood red.

He did need to know one thing though, that Mieczyslaw will have to die with Claudia, along with all the decision they had made for him. Afterall, that’s the only way for Stiles to live.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also if ya'll were wondering I am still single haha! Turns out my crush only likes me as a friend and I also have a cold so that's nice. How was ya'lls winter break? Mine was nice, I'm back in school so expect more spratic updates instead of once a month.


	9. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talia and Deaton plan. Talia connects the dots.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the forgetting about this story and only remembering when I was going through my works to see if there was anything I wanted to continue and feeling horrible about leaving this story untouched for eight months for me. I am starting to realize that I am the fanfic writer that we all dread and complain about when it comes to updating. Oops. Anyways, here's the chapter. Obviously I'm not making promises on the frequency of updates, BUT it defiantly won't take eight months.

“Has your brother been acting differently any?” Deaton asked in what to seemed like to Talia, the hundredth time.

“No,” Talia growled out in frustration, “Peter has been the same shady, but loyal, beta as ever.”

Deaton grunted in acknowledgement as he continued to rummage thought several cabinets grabbing random bottles and packages from different shelves. Closing the last cabinet, he turns back to the table to set all of his gatherings down in front of the Hale Alpha.

“What is all of this for?”

Deaton pauses his movement briefly to give Talia a look – she never did like the causal disrespect that her emissary shows her – before going back to grabbing mixing tools and placing them on the table.

“We can’t just expose _Alpha erase_ all of our problems,” his voice was pointed, “But we can figure out what exactly the boy knows and what is simply just a coincidence.” He pauses before looking back to Talia, his brow raised in a condescending manner, “After all, he might just be curious as to why the _Hales moved back to Beacon Hills_.”

Talia felt miffed at his tone and let her eyes flash a bright red briefly before continuing the conversation – but not without a jab in retaliation, “You were the one who said it would be fine to return.” When Deaton opened his mouth to respond she continued speaking to move the conversation forward, “But enough of the minor details. What does any of this,” she waves her hand in dismissal, “have to do with finding out what the boy know?” 

“Simple,” Deaton replied as he starts to mix the materials into a pot over an open flame, “It’ll drug him enough where you can grab him and question him.” At the alpha’s answering silence, the druid correctly assumed that she had no qualms with his actions. Instead Talia took one last glance at the room around her and made a slight humming noise in acknowledgement.

Making her way towards the door she paused before exiting and turned to look at the pack emissary with a thoughtful look on her face. “Make sure you make two batches, the second one enough for wolf,” at Deaton’s questioning look Talia felt a brief desire to share, “Just in case I need it for Peter.” At the man’s nod in agreement, she took her leave of the room and made her way back to her car.

When she got to the pack house it was late into the evening and most of the family was back home and inside. She could already hear some of the children talking inside, but one particular conversation is what caught her ear the most when she happened to walk by the lower office window. _Peter’s office _her mind helped supply. She paused outside the window, just outside of the view of the window, and made sure to keep her breaths shallow so she’ll remain unnoticed.

“—it was weird Uncle! The entire school went completely dark! What’s even weirder though is the fact that Ms. Blake completely believed their bull-,” Cora took a put-upon pause in her speech, “their _cow crap_, excuse of it being a short circuit power outage.”

Talia couldn’t help but wonder why she wasn’t informed about a power outage at the school, especially if it was as big of an event as Cora made it sound, but Peter’s next words brought her back to the issue at hand.

“Probably because it was a power outage Cora, not a student with enough magic to cause glass to shatter.”

“And to knock out power,” Cora added with a pointed tone.

“Still not likely, plus your Mom and I know all of the supernatural people that live in Beacon Hills. Trust me, we would have known your lab partner was magically, especially if they proposed a danger to us any.”

“But he does Peter,” Cora insisted, her voice taking on a sudden plea that made Talia pause.

“How so Cora? Because Ms. Blake has him in his corner? I’m sure that’s more of a personal grudge against Talia, then because the boy is a mage in the making.” Peter’s tone was now taking on the teasing tone that was common in the relationship between Uncle and niece, but Talia’s mind was connecting dots that seemed to far apart to connect but made sense.

Stiles mother, Claudia, was a mage a good one too; what she lacked in magical strength she made up for in connections to other supernatural beings. And while her husband was presumed human, even he had a will that seemed unbreakable at times (one time being a key exception), so it would be safe to assume that those traits would have passed to their miracle son.

By the time his magic would’ve made any appearances the Hale family was long gone, but that still wouldn’t take away the fact that Talia would’ve been able to sense a new wave of magic in the territory. If not while they were away, definitely when they returned. She couldn’t help the anger that washed over her at the thought of not knowing what was happening in her own territory.

Feeling as if she wouldn’t gain any new information from her brother and youngest daughter that she wouldn’t be able to figure out herself, she walked away from the window are and towards the front door to join dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Hale family dinner and Talia tries to figure out what Peter knows.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know your thoughts!


End file.
